How I Prepare to take a Test - Essay Example

How I Prepare for a TestWhile preparing for a test, I usually begin by analyzing all the information I need to know at least three weeks before the actual test. At this stage, I go through the syllabus guide, my notebooks, and the textbooks used in class. Here, I do most of the reading just to be familiar with what I have learned. I do not necessarily focus on deeper understanding of the content. After analyzing what I need to know, I usually write down the major concepts of the course. Here, I focus on what the instructor emphasizes in class.

At this stage, I categorize the content according to topics, subtopics, and related content. After studying each subtopic, I usually write the content in a blank notebook the way I have understood. After that, I compare with my notes and the class textbook contents. In the case of any mistakes or omissions, I rectify and transfer the new content to another blank notebook. Here, I also arrange the content according to topics or subtopics with clearly-labeled headings. In addition, I write personal clues on how to interpret the material alongside the content.

Finally, I study actively at least one week before the real test. At this stage, I rely mostly on the major concepts I had written the previous week. Here, I read a number of before doing personal evaluation. Next, I evaluate myself by trying to analyze how much I can remember. I do it by writing brief content, mostly short phrases, which provide me with clues of the required content. Since most tests require the understanding of facts rather than memorization of content, I usually go through revision questions at the end of every chapter.

In addition, I go through the test questions that have been done by previous groups of learners.Improving My Test-Taking PreparationsThe major challenge I experience while preparing for a test is time. I start my preparations at least three weeks early. Since it is difficult to master all the content within a short period, the three-week strategy affects my performances on some tests. However, if I start preparing earlier than that, I can improve my performance. In this case, if I focus on mastering the content right after every lesson, I can reduce my workload.

In most cases, I skip some content because of limited time.The understanding of facts also takes time. I usually try to do it a few days before the actual test. The strategy affects my performances negatively on some tests. Normally, there are some courses that I find easy to understand, and I just spend a few days studying the content. In such situations, my performance is virtually unaffected by the short period of study. However, the real challenge is on the difficult courses; all of them require time to master.

Because of limited time, I tend to concentrate on memorizing some of the content. As a consequence, I find it difficult to tackle some problems requiring the application of content.Apart from the total revision time, I also need to increase my active preparation time for the test. I usually do it a week before the actual test. The major problem of adopting strategy is that I do not find sufficient time for group discussions or to consult my instructor. However, if I allocate more time to my active revision, I can identify the difficult areas before it is too late.

ReferenceUniversity of Tasmania. (2013, June). Effective exam preparation. Retrieved November 16, 2014 from http://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/11547/Effective-Exam-Preparation.pdf